Transfer mechanism for a counter



July 15, 1947. MUMMA 2,423,991

TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR A COUNTER Filed April 28, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l 27 [A ilo INVENTOR. Hnzow J. Ml/MMA ATTOi/VE Y July 15, 1947. MUMMA 2,423,991

TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR A- COUNTER Filed April 28, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOE/VE Y Patented July 15, 1947 TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR A COUNTER Harold J. Mumma,

Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Food Machinery Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application April 28, 1945, Serial No. 590,886

3 Claims.

This invention relates to predetermined counter mechanisms of the character employed for counting items or operations until a predetermined total of items or operations are performed. More particularly, the invention relates to a counter of the above character employing an improved tens transfer mechanism.

In performing many machine operations, for example, punch press operations, it is desired to fabricate a given number of pieces or to perform a given number of operations. It is desirable in connection with such operations to provide a counting mechanism which can be Dre-set to the number of operations to be performed and then returned to zero, increment by increment, as the operations occur, s that the machine can be stopped when the required number of operations have been effected.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved predetermined counting mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved predetermined counting mechanism having a tens transfer mechanism which operates without requiring excessive power from the item entering or actuating mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a transfer mechanism of the spring loading type wherein one spring serves both to engage a transfer pawl member with a ratchet wheel and to provide the power for operating the ratchet wheel during a transferring operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stop mechanism for the transfer pawl which throws the pawl toward the associated ratchet wheel at the end of a transferring operation to insure engagement therebetween and to prevent false operation.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view on a reduced scale of a counting mechanism embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a full size elevational view of the counter mechanism with certain parts removed to illustrate the relation of the transfer mechanism to the numeral mechanism.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the impulse drive motor for the counting mechanism.

Figure 4 is a sectional view, partly in elevation,

of the impulse motor taken as indicated by the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detailed view of the actuator for the counting mechanism.

Figure 6 is another view of the counting mechanism actuator.

Figure 7 is a sectional view of one order of the numeral mechanism taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 4, the counting mechanism of the invention includes a casing I0 within which the counting mechanism proper is housed, and on which the impulse motor or actuator for the counting mechanism is mounted. As seen in Figure 1, a series of five numeral dials II are provided on an elongated plate I2 removably seated in the casing I0, having respective number pointers 13 associated therewith to indicate the numerical values of the respective orders of the counting mechanism. A transparent cover I6 is provided which is also removably seated in the casing 10 and through which the knurled handle I! of each numeral pointer extends for manual access. The lowest dial and pointer or numeral mechanism is the units order, the next higher is the tens order, etc.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 7, each numeral mech anism includes a ten-tooth ratchet wheel 18, a spacer sleeve IS. a snail cam 20, a second spacer sleeve 2|, and the pointer l3, all of which engage over a mounting sleeve 22 having a flanged end 23 against which the ratchet wheel l8 seats. The opposite end of each mounting sleeve 22 is threaded for engagement by the associated handle I! which serves to clamp the parts together. Each numeral mechanism is mounted rotatably in the casing by the engagement of its mounting sleeve 22 over a stud 24 fixedly secured in the rear wall of the casing 10. When assembling the mechanism, the pointers. l3 and handles I! are installed after the dial plate 12 is in place, while the transparent cover I6 is apertured to fit over thehandles I1 and has a slight press fit within the casing l0.

The snail cam 20 of each numeral mechanism provides the transfer control element while the ratchet wheel I8 receives the increments of movement transmitted to each numeral mechanism. An overthrow and centralizin pawl 26 (Fig. 2) is associated with each ratchet wheel and is urged into engagement therewith by a spring 21 having one end seated against the adjacent wall of the casing 10.

To provide for transfer of increments from lower to higher orders of the numeral mechanism, each of the four lower order tens transfer cams 20 is engaged by a roller 28 carried on a tens transfer lever or member 29 having a pivot at 3| on the casing [0. At its left end, as seen in Fig. 2, each transfer lever 29 has pivotally mounted thereon at 32 a transfer pawl 33 of hellcrank shape having an offset; end providing a tooth 34 to engage the ratchet wheel 18 of next higher order and a second offset end 36 to receive an actuating sprin 31 which is also secured to a stud 38 on the casing l0. Each pawl 33 is provided with an ear 39 for engaging a stop pin 40 in the retracted portion of the pawl 33, to engage the tooth 34 firmly with the associated ratchet wheel.

To enter increments in the lowest order numeral mechanism an actuating pawl 4| (Figs. 2 and 4) is provided which is pivotally mounted on a pin 42 extending through an opening 43 in the rear wall of the casing. The pin 42 carries a torsion spring 44, having one end connected to an actuator arm 46 and the other to the actuator pawl 4| to urge it into engagement with the associated ratchet wheel 18 and still allow yielding to pass over a tooth after actuation of the wheel. The pin 42 (Figs. 2, 3 and 6) is carried by the actuator arm 46, which also has a sleeve 41 pivotally engaging a stud 48 on the casing [0. The actuator arm 46 is movable between two stops 49, 49a and is spring urged into engagement with stop 49 by means of tension spring secured between a stud 52 on the stop 49 and a screw 53 carried on the armature 54 of the impulse motor.

The armature 54 i pivotally mounted on the sleeve 41 and is disposed between segmental extension 56 and 51 of the actuator arm 46. The actuator arm 46 is urged clockwise with respect to the armature 54 as viewed in Figure 3 by a torsion spring 58 (Fig. 4) connected to the armature 54 and to a collar 59 on the sleeve 41. In this way, the actuator arm 46 will follow clockwise movement of the armature 54. The spring 5! maintain the armature 54 angularly displaced from its aligned position between the pole pieces 69 of the motor field magnet 6|. Electrical leads 62 and 63 for the magnet 6| extend to a suitable source of electrical impulses operated by the associated mechanism so that one impulse is transmitted to the field magnet for each operation of the mechanism. The above-described impulse motor is of conventional construction and any other suitable motor or mechanism may be employed which will supply one actuation of the lowest order ratchet wheel l8 for each operation of the associated mechanism.

As seen in Figure 2, the lowest order numeral mechanism is in its nine position with the roller 26 engaging the lowest point of the snail cam 26. Upon successive subtractive increments the snail cam 20 will be rotated to move the transfer lever 29 upwardly in incremental fashion until the roller 28 occupies the high point of the cam, the zero position of the numeral mechanism. At this time the pawl 33 has moved to the right with the transfer lever 29 to engage tooth 34 over the next tooth of the higher order ratchet wheel l8. The snail cam 20 of the third order in Figure 2 is in its eight position and the actuating tooth 34 of the associated pawl 33 has moved to an intermediate position with respect to the adjacent teeth of the ratchet wheel [8. As the pawl 33 is advanced, the spring 3'! is tensioned and serves to snap the tooth 34 into engagement with the ratchet wheel, as well as to apply tension to the transfer lever 29. Upon entry of another subtractive increment when the lower order numeral mechanism is moved from zero to nine, i. e. when the numeral mechanism passes its tens transfer position, the roller 28 falls from the high portion of the cam to the low portion, and the spring 31 becomes effective through the pawl 33 and the transfer lever 29 to enter one subtractive increment in the next higher order numeral mechanism. During movement of the tooth 34 over the rise of an adjacent ratchet wheel tooth the associated overthrow preventer arm 26 prevents backward movement of the numeral mechanism. It is to be understood that the invention as disclosed can be employed equally well as an additive counter by reversal of the numerals of the dials II and appropriately relating the positions of pointers 13 to the snail cams 20.

From the above description it will be apparent that a simple yet effective transfer mechanism has been provided which is sure in operation and which utilizes a minimum number of parts and does not impose an excessive load on the actuator for the counting mechanism.

I claim:

1. In a counter mechanism, a pair of adjacent numeral mechanisms, each numeral mechanism including a ratchet wheel and the lower order numeral mechanism including a snail cam, a cam follower arm engageable with the snail cam, a pawl pivotally mounted on the arm, an actuator tooth adjacent one end of said pawl engaging the ratchet wheel of said higher order numeral wheel, the other end of said pawl extending beyond the pivotal axis therefor, a spring connected to said other pawl end to urge said actuator tooth against the associated ratchet wheel and to urge the arm against the snail cam, an ear on said pawl, and a stop for engaging said ear to move said actuator tooth toward the associated ratchet wheel in the retracted position of said arm and said pawl.

2. In a counter mechanism, a casing, an aligned series of numeral mechanisms mounted for rotation about spaced parallel axes on said casing, each numeral mechanism including a ratchet wheel and a transfer cam, 21 series of cam follower arms pivotally mounted on said casing about aligned axes spaced to one side of said series, each arm extending between an adjacent pair of said numeral mechanisms and engaging the transfer cam of the lower order of said pair to be advanced and retracted under control thereof, a bellcrank pawl pivotally mounted on each of said arms and having a tooth engageable with the ratchet wheel of the higher order of said pair, a spring connected between each of said pawls and said casing to urge said tooth against the associated ratchet wheel and to urge the associated arm against its cooperating transfer cam, and a stop on said casing for engaging said pawl in the retracted position of said arm to prevent movement of said pawl away from its cooperating ratchet wheel.

3. In a counter mechanism, the combination of: an elongated casing; a series of counting devices mounted within said casing for rotation about parallel axes spaced apart in a line disposed lengthwise of said casing and centrally therein to provide primary and secondary free marginal areas within said casing on opposite sides of said series of devices, each of said devices including a ratchet wheel and a transfer cam; a series of cam follower arms each of which lies crosswise of said casing between an adjacent pair of said devices; means for uniformly pivotally mounting on said casing corresponding ends of said arms disposed in said secondary marginal area; a series of hell crank pawls pivotally connected to the other ends of said arms, each of said pawls having a relatively long actuator finger extendin from the pivot of said pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel of the adjacent device of a higher order, and a relatively short finger turned inwardly at right angles to said long finger; relatively long contractile springs connected between said short fingers and said casing, said pawls and springs being disposed within said primary marginal area within said casing; and a series of cam followers, one of which is provided on each of said arms between said end pivots thereof and extends therefrom in the opposite direction than said actuator finger and into engagement with the cam of the adjacent device of a. lower order.

HAROLD J. MUMMA. Number 209,690 REFERENCES CITED 1,497,570 The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

